Valley hospitals nearing capacity

Few ICU beds available locally and statewide due to COVID-19 spike

While Mahoning Valley hospitals strive to treat people infected with COVID-19 and other ailments and the state sends Ohio National Guard members to assist with staffing the facilities, data shows many local hospitals are close to or have met their standard capacity levels.

That doesn't mean hospitals will turn patients away, as hospital officials have said they can get creative with making more space and providing more beds in their facilities.

Hospital data was ordered to be released after a public records lawsuit by Eye on Ohio, the Ohio Center for Journalism that collaborates with news organizations across the state to share data and search for evidence-based, community solutions.

The data for Mahoning Valley hospitals is a "snapshot" of capacity levels as of Dec. 17, showing trends of zero or few intensive-care-unit beds available at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, St. Joseph Warren Hospital and Trumbull Regional Medical Center in Warren.

The data can vary sharply day-to-day as patients come and go from local hospitals.

However, statewide data shows that December is host to several days with the fewest number of available intensive-care-unit beds since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Dec. 17, 176 ICU beds were available statewide and on Dec. 3, 190. The hospitals report the daily average amount of beds available in their facility.

The lowest number of ICU beds available in the state since the pandemic began was 161 on Oct. 15.

On April 6, 2020, the data showed the state had a pandemic high of 6,089 ICU beds available, marking a 97 percent decrease in availability of the beds statewide on Dec. 17.

At St. Joseph Warren Hospital and St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, where the state is sending 20 medically trained guardsmen, one ICU bed was listed available in each facility on Dec. 17.

The Warren hospital reported no empty medical / surgical beds on Dec. 17, while the Youngstown hospital reported eight open medical / surgical beds. Both hospitals have experienced days with no bed availability, with the Warren hospital reporting zero more often than the Youngstown hospital.

"Critical staffing issues" exist in hospitals throughout the region, according to a Thursday news release from the hospital system.

The 10 medical / surgical beds open Dec. 13 at Trumbull Regional was the most open beds the hospital reported since 14 on Nov. 16. Before that, 19 were open on Oct. 21.

The Warren hospital increased from zero ICU beds available Dec. 8 to seven available Dec. 13. However, it's unknown if the increase is because patients were moved to another unit, were released or died.

At St. Elizabeth Boardman, the four ICU beds available Dec. 17 was the most the hospital had free since five were available Nov. 7. The hospital frequently reported no beds, or one bed available between the two dates.

Between Dec. 14 and Dec. 17, the Boardman hospital went from having nine medical / surgical beds open to none. The hospital frequently reported no open beds; the last time the hospital had more than nine of these beds open was Nov. 7 when 15 were available.

Mercy Health is asking the people of the Mahoning Valley to wear masks when appropriate, wash their hands frequently and avoid contact with others if they are not feeling well.

Mercy Health also recommends the COVID-19 vaccine "because it is safe, highly effective and the way our communities will move beyond this pandemic."